words

Since the essence of Perceptive Portraits is, in fact, to capture emotions in a way missed by point-and-shoot photography, I've been trying to find ways to help my potential clients and fellow photographers see the world a little differently.

Every so often I'll jump into the Classifieds section of KSL.com and look through some photographers' websites or blogs listed in the Photo/TV Services section. When I put all those images and comments together I discovered what most people already know: some are just lame.

In an effort to alleviate boredom and stand out from the monotony of what some affectionately call "generics", I decided to take notes. What did I like about that one photograph? Or what made me want to bookmark that blog? As I applied these questions, I found 5 basic dislikes:

"SPECIALTY" PHOTOGRAPHERS
Specialty: noun. Used to describe a single area of expertise.

For your reading pleasure, here is a direct quote from a photographer's blog I found the other day (name is changed): "[Linda] is an on location photographer who specializes in wedding, engagement, newborn, maternity, children and family photography."

So…either she puts all those themes into the same photograph together and that's her specialty ( if so I'd love to see some of her work), or somehow I missed what she really does best in that sentence.

Professional Photographer Magazine often stresses that not all photographers needs to identify a specific "specialty". To paraphrase one of their examples, a photographer could identify himself as a Portrait Photographer and that covers all the bases in a single word. Portrait = people. You could even go farther by making yourself stand out as a Traveling Portrait Photographer. You just described yourself in three simple words, and may have encouraged your site visitors to keep on reading.

I specialize in female and couples' portraiture, but I also do high school seniors, family portraits, etc.

The website also has an excellent article on finding what separates you from the rest of the photographers in the world that can be found here. I highly recommend it.

LAYOUT
'smack dab in the middle'

Pink, orange, purple, green--like, who are you? Save the light green text on a white background for UFO's in daylight. If I can't read it, how can I possibly learn anything about what you can do for me? I also found some banners--headers that announce who the photographer is and what they do--did not match the frame of their blog at all. I even found one that was so wide I had to scroll all the way to the right to even see what the name of their blog was! If you need help, find someone who knows and ask them for help.

OVER-PHOTOSHOPPING
'I have a computer and I’m not afraid to use it!'

I'm the first to advocate the use of Photoshop or other programs like it. A program called "GIMP" is one of my best friends when I sit down to squeeze some creation juice. But some squeeze the lemon, the seeds, and the peel into the cup--and drink it too!

Of course not all styles appeal to all people. But if I were the subject, I wouldn't want to get lost in so many selective colors and artistic designs that I can't get into the mood of the photo. It's me! I want to see me. Just sayin'.

WEAK PORTFOLIO
'check out my muscles!'

When I was in college I remember my English teacher asking us to write more like we talk. Reading word after word about the same assigned subject from 50 or more students was like gagging on a spoon, he said. Every so often he just wished someone would just let their sarcasm hang out and write like they were discussing it over a cup of coffee.

I found this to be true in photo portfolios too. I--like all photographers at one time or another--will often shoot several shots in a few seconds. It’s a trick we photographers sometimes use to make sure we get a good shot while the subject is moving or thinking or we're just letting them hang out in front of the camera. It works. But who wants to look through five or six pictures in a row of the same subject doing practically the same thing? I don't like digging for what the photographer finds is their best work.

UNINTERESTING
'I fix vacuum cleaners in my spare time. I am the most interesting man in the world!!!'

I don't claim to be the most interesting writer in the world, and if I did clean vacuums in my spare time I might actually blog about it, but if l find myself lifting my hand off the mouse to cover my yawn while passing through…well you get the picture.

And so to all those photographers who will probably never read this blog, and to clients looking through those photographers' blogs, I declare thee 'influenced'!

Happy reading!

--wendy